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Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)
Kung Fu Panda 2 is a 2011 3D American computer-animated action/comedy film and sequel to Kung Fu Panda. It was produced by DreamWorks Animation, distributed by Paramount Pictures, and directed by Jennifer Yuh Nelson. The original voice cast of the first film reprised their returning characters' roles, and were joined by new cast members Gary Oldman, Michelle Yeoh, Danny McBride, Victor Garber, Jean-Claude Van Damme, and Dennis Haysbert. The film was released on May 26, 2011 in Real D 3D and Digital 3D. It received positive reviews, with critics praising its animation, voice acting, and character development. It was also a commercial success surpassing the original film and, like the original film, was the highest grossing animated feature film of the year. The film was nominated for multiple awards, including the 2011 Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Plot Long ago, Lord Shen, heir to the peacock clan that ruled over Gongmen City, sought to harness the power of fireworks as a weapon to fuel his aggressive ambitions of ruling over China. When he learned from the court soothsayer that "a warrior of black and white" would one day defeat him, Shen assumed she was referring to the giant pandas and had them exterminated to avert the prophecy. Horrified at this atrocity, Shen's parents exiled him. Feeling abandoned and betrayed, Shen vowed he would return one day to rule supreme. Over twenty years later, Master Po is now living his dream as the Dragon Warrior, protecting the Valley of Peace alongside his friends and fellow kung fu masters, the Furious Five. However, Master Shifu's lesson to further Po's training to help him pursue inner peace is interrupted by a raid by wolves seeking all the refined metal they can steal from a village of musicians. Po and the Five arrive to stop them, but the wolves get away when Po is distracted by the sight of a symbol on the lead wolf's armor that triggers a flashback of his mother. Po asks his father where he came from, but all the goose can tell him is that he found Po as an infant in a vegetable crate behind his restaurant and adopted him. Afterward, Master Shifu receives word that Master Thundering Rhino, leader of the Kung Fu Council protecting Gongmen City, has been killed by Shen's new weapon, which threatens to destroy kung fu tradition. Po and the Furious Five are sent to stop him, but the journey is complicated by Po's troubling nightmares that he feels he cannot share completely with anyone, even with Tigress, whom he is growing increasingly close to. When they reach the city, Po and the Five find it completely under the control of Shen's forces and try to stealthily reach Masters Storming Ox and Croc in the prison in order to get their help to liberate the city. Unfortunately, both masters inexplicably refuse to leave their cell, citing their helplessness against Lord Shen's weapon, forcing Po and the Five to make the attempt alone. Po and the Five are then discovered by the wolf leader, who they chase to prevent him from alerting Shen, only to be ambushed by a massive force. Po surrenders, and the group is arrested. Tigress questions Po, but assures her that he is formulating a plan. Placed in restraints, they are brought before Lord Shen in his tower. The emperor peacock refuses to believe that a goofy panda could possibly threaten him, while the Soothsayer realizes Po has no knowledge of what the peacock did to his people. As per their plan, Po and the Five free themselves and destroy the peacock's large cannon. Unfortunately, Po is again distracted by flashbacks upon seeing the same symbol as before on Shen's plumage, allowing the peacock to escape. The heroes discover, to their horror, that Shen has built a whole arsenal of cannons and they barely escape the tower while Shen destroys it with a salvo attack. Hiding in the prison, Tigress demands to know why Po froze and says the Five will leave him behind if he can't be counted on in battle. The panda at first refuses to confess about his flashbacks, but ultimately relents and tells her that Shen knows what happened to his parents. He says that Tigress probably can't understand, but that he has to know the answer and will confront Shen with or without the Five. Tigress then suddenly hugs Po, much to the surprise of everyone else, and tells him that she does understand, but can't watch her friend die. She tells him to remain with Masters Storming Ox and Croc for his own protection while she and the others attempt to stop Shen's cannons at the source. Still determined to find out what Shen knows, Po ignores Tigress and decides to break into the cannon foundry to question Shen himself about his memories, inadvertently foiling the Five's attempt to destroy it. In the ensuing battle, Po faces Shen who acknowledges that he was in Po's parents' village; he sadistically claims that Po's parents abandoned him before blasting the stunned panda point-blank with a giant cannon. Po rockets out of the factory and plunges into the river to his apparent death. Wounded and unconsciously floating down the river, Po is still alive when he is rescued by the Soothsayer, who was exiled earlier by Shen. When he regains consciousness, the Soothsayer tells him that he is in the remains of the village where he was born and Po's unconsciously repressed memories fight to come to the surface. Guided by the Soothsayer to embrace the past and let them rise, Po's memories come back as he witnesses the destruction of his village and his mother's flight from Shen's forces. Given the lie of Shen's cruel claim of abandonment, he sees instead that his mother endangered herself to save him by hiding him in the produce crate and drawing the pursuers away, seemingly to her death. Po's memories move to his adoption by the loving Mr. Ping and how he conquered his deep insecurities to achieve his most cherished dreams with help of his new friends, the Masters. At that, Po comes to realize that his past does not define him as much as his present choices, allowing him to attain a measure of inner peace even while he prepares to return to Gongmen City to confront the murdering peacock. In the city, Lord Shen captures the Five trying to stop his war fleet from departing and prepares to kill them as an example of his power as soon as his ships clear the city harbor. However, Po arrives to confront Shen and manages to free the Five, beginning a massive battle to blow up Shen's ship before it reaches the harbor that soon includes Master Shifu who also convinced Masters Storming Ox and Croc to participate. The attempt to stop the fleet fails and the heroes are left floating in the bay amongst the wreckage. Regardless, Po, finding footing on a floating piece of shattered timber, stands his ground against Shen and astounds everyone when he gauges Shen's cannon fire and redirects it back at his armada. In doing so, Po devastates the fleet and his cannons through kung fu alone and confronts Shen on his damaged flagship. There, Po rejects that his horrific past dominates his spirit and urges Shen to come to terms with his own grievance with his parents. However, Shen refuses the entreaty and hatefully attacks the Dragon Warrior. In the melee, Shen unintentionally slashes the ropes holding up his cannon, which then falls and crushes him. Po soon reunites with the other Masters and the city celebrates Po's victory with fireworks. Back in the Valley of Peace, Po reunites with Mr. Ping and lovingly proclaims him to be his father. However, at that very moment in a distant hidden area that contains a whole village of giant pandas, Po's biological father is suddenly aware that his son is alive. Voice cast *Jack Black as Po, a giant panda and the film's main protagonist *Angelina Jolie as Tigress, a member of the Furious Five and the film's deuteragonist *Jackie Chan as Monkey, a member of the Furious Five *Seth Rogen as Mantis, a member of the Furious Five *David Cross as Crane, a member of the Furious Five *Lucy Liu as Viper, a member of the Furious Five *Dustin Hoffman as Shifu, a red panda and mentor to Po *James Hong as Mr. Ping, a goose and Po's adoptive father *Gary Oldman as Shen, a peacock and the film's primary antagonist *Michelle Yeoh as the Soothsayer, a goat and adviser to Shen *Danny McBride as Boss Wolf, Shen's second-in-command and the secondary antagonist *Victor Garber as Thundering Rhino, a guardian of Gongmen City *Jean-Claude Van Damme as Croc, a guardian of Gongmen City *Dennis Haysbert as Storming Ox, a guardian of Gongmen City *Fred Tatasciore as Panda Dad, a giant panda and Po's biological father Videos Kung Fu Panda 2 Official Teaser Trailer Kung Fu Panda 2 Official Trailer Category:Kung Fu Panda Category:Films Category:Media Category:Tertiary Media Category:Animated Films